Rangers Claim Avery (Update: Backstrom re-ups, Voros/Reitz Waived)

As expected, the Rangers claimed Sean Avery from Dallas on re-entry waivers. The Rangers will be on the hook for $2 million a year for the next three years, which is pretty much what the Rangers wanted to sign him for this past offseason. This also leaves the Rangers with roughly $4.99 in cap room for the remainder of the season.

I don’t understand this move, I really don’t. I like Avery, I really do, but the team needed a change and a catalyst, and they got it in Tortorella. Throwing Avery into the mix just doesn’t sound like a good idea right now, especially because Torts doesn’t want him there. You really have to question if there is a proper line of communication between Torts and Sather.

This also puts the Rangers against a wall next offseason, with the cap going down, and the Rangers with a lot of RFAs to sign. Let’s hope Sather has a trade of a medium to long term contract (Voros?) to clear some room for the offseason.

But for now, welcome back to NY Sean. I’m sure Stas is doing back flips.

Update 12:30pm: Looks like Niklas Backstrom won’t be leaving Minnesota this trade deadline. He re-upped with the Wild today for 4 years, $24 millioni.

Update 12:50pmAaron Voros and Eric Reitz have been placed on waivers. That clears some room.

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Its a bad move. No doubt and further proves Sather is not the right man to lead our organization. What does Avery really get us? Why does this guy even deserve to play here? We had so much promise 2 years ago and then Sather got greedy and burdened this franchise with huge FA contracts and players that do not mix. How you sign Redden and Rosival to outrageous long term contracts is beyond me. Add in Sather’s poor draft track record and its not an exciting time to be a Ranger. Watch him trade away one of the few top level prospects we have for an aging, has been scorer.

You can get Sather for his poor signing abilities that have really hampered this teams ability to get anyone worth while.

I don’t like Sather, but you can’t really get him for his drafting or his trading abiltity. That Zherdev trade was a steal. And when it comes to Sather draft picks, you get Cherepanov (RIP), Korpo, Cally, Dubi, Staal, Girardi (undrafted free agent), and Dawes. Not to mention AA, Grachev, Sanguinetti and Del Zotto on their way.

Yes Zherdev was a good deal. Honest question though. What other Sather trades have really helped us since 2000? You can make a case for Avery 3 years ago. Good deal then. Backman? Horrible last year. The Leetch trade produced Korp for us I believe. Nothing else. Everything else? I can’t really recall a standout move. Correct me if I am wrong.

As for drafting, we do have a couple of studs. However, overall our farm systems from top to bottom is very weak and for a organization that has struggled for the most part of this decade that is not acceptable. You win championships with player development. Not with signing tons of free agents to cover up all of your weaknesses. Free agents should just enhance your team.

Yeah Sather has snuck in a few, but has done nothing to make this franchise a solid if not Cup contending team every year. We are still in the same shape from when he took over back. Desparate and grasping at straws. Probably a tad worse since we are battling a cap now. I’m sure Avery will energize the team. I just don’t see how this improves us long term and I worry about ever decision Sather makes. We shall see.

[…] tonight, and you could catch the tail end of the Jays-Team Canada game on MLB Network. Oh, and the Rangers reacquired Sean Avery, eating up whatever last bit of salary cap wiggle room they had. Oh […]